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Star profile

HIP 16263

3D likeness based on its real data · class A · ~8,500 K

What is HIP 16263

In the long celestial course of Eridanus —the mythical river into which Phaethon plunged after losing the chariot of the Sun— burns this white A-type star. Its light began its journey around 1608, when Hans Lippershey applied for the patent of the first telescope in the Netherlands. A-type stars consume their hydrogen with youthful haste; their clear glow recalls the pale light of a full moon reflected on fresh snow.

Where it is and when to see it

HIP 16263 lies in the southern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is November, when it culminates around midnight.

  • From London it culminates about 26° above the horizon.
  • From New York it culminates about 37° above the horizon.
  • From Sydney it culminates about 69° above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere south of 77° N.

It ranks no. 84 in brightness among the 129 stars of Eridanus in our catalogue. To find it, start from Achernar, the brightest: it lies about 49° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).

The light you see today left it about 420 years ago.

Find it on the sky map

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Leave your signature on HIP 16263

Your name and a message go up on the map for everyone to read. Signing is free.

Without a lock, someone else can replace your signature. How the lock works

We'll ask for an email to confirm it's you, no password.

A public signature from a real person. The chosen name is a symbolic denomination within Stelvia, with no official standing or IAU recognition: the sky is not for sale and belongs to no one.

Astronomical data for HIP 16263

Constellation
Eridanus
Apparent magnitude
5.57
Distance
418.2 light years
Coordinates (J2000)
RA 52.400° · Dec -12.675°
Catalogue
HIP 16263 · HD 21688

A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.

Other stars in Eridanus

Eridanus has 129 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.

See all 129 stars in Eridanus